Fireflies: articles


Abe Forsythe

Abe Forsythe: “I couldn’t bring myself to go back to doing 50 episodes of something because that is when it feels like a job.”

Fresh challenge fires young actor

WHEN Abe Forsythe, the former Always Greener star, was asked to audition for the character Hank in the new ABC drama Fireflies he did not think he was the right man for the job.

“It’s a part I would not have normally cast myself for because I wouldn’t think I was right for it,” the 22-year-old says.

“But I just went in there in the audition and belted my lines out because I didn’t know how to play the character any other way.

“And it felt really right.”

The audition panel obviously agreed with Forsythe’s interpretation of the character, and he has since returned as a regular guest in the series.

Hank, who has a mullet and wears a black singlet and black denim jeans, is the eldest son in the Sharp family who loves to cause trouble.

Forsythe says he had never played a character as complex as Hank before, although he enjoyed the challenge.

“He’s kind of like a fire in his own sort of way because he’s so unpredictable you don’t know where things are going to go.”

He says Hank was completely opposite to his former Always Greener character, Cam Todd, a regular nice guy.

And it was only after playing the lead role in the television mini-series Marking Time that Forsythe felt he had broken away from playing Cam.

“I got Marking Time and it showed me I didn’t have to play that Channel 7 (Always Greener ) character. And since playing Hank I feel it has really freed me up as an actor and given me a lot more confidence to go and play other things.”

Leaving school at the age of 15, Forsythe went on a journey to find out what he wanted to do in life.

During this time his father, Drew, who Forsythe says is one of Australia’s best character actors, got him to audition for a play.

“I got the part and after that I just kept doing it (acting) on and off and it’s only been in the last couple of years that I really pursued it as a career.”

Forsythe says his father had a great influence on how he viewed the acting profession.

“The best thing I’ve taken from him is that from the amount of jobs he’s done and the people he’s worked with he has always treated people with respect and without ego.”

With a severe disliking of those in the industry who think they are above others, Forsythe says he chose not to attend “star only” events like the Logie Awards.

For Forsythe, his career is not about the fame but about being happy and working with people who inspire him and whose company he enjoys.

“I couldn’t bring myself to go back to doing 50 episodes of something because that is when it feels like a job,” he says.

“But I certainly don’t look at Fireflies as being mediocre.”

With the series being moved to Thursday at 8.30pm, Forsythe says the ABC is expecting big things from it.

By Katrina Witham
April 01, 2004
The Courier Mail